Serendip
UV, Mutations, and DNA Repair
How effective are cells at repairing UV damage? An inquiry-based lesson has learners experiment with organism by exposing them to various levels of UV light and then examining their DNA after a period of time. Pupils test different...
Serendip
From Gene to Protein via Transcription and Translation
DNA carries the codes for creating just the right protein. A well-designed lesson plan leads pupils through the process from start to finish and everywhere in between. Guiding questions with supporting video help scholars understand the...
Serendip
DNA
Get up close and personal with DNA! A two-part hands-on activity has learners extract DNA from a small organism and then their own cheek cells. Scholars then explore DNA replication using questions to guide their analyses.
Pingry School
Flame Tests
Light a fire in your pupils! Scholars conduct a flame test and observe the emission spectra of several different salts in an enlightening hands-on investigation. They use their observations to make comparisons and conclusions about the...
Pingry School
Determination of the Molar Mass of an Unknown Acid
Acids and bases have a love-hate relationship. They balance each other so nicely, but they are complete opposites! Learners use these concepts and titration to calculate the molar mass of an unknown substance. The experiment document...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Living Dinosaurs: Fact or Fiction?
Are birds descendants of dinosaurs? Learners consider the question as they watch an informative video comparing fossil records of dinosaurs with current species. Following the video, groups ponder the evidence to draw conclusions about...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Creating Chains and Webs to Model Ecological Relationships
The sustainability of an ecosystem depends on many factors and changes constantly. Young scholars consider these factors as they use a set of cards to create food webs. They review key scientific vocabulary such as predator, prey,...
Pingry School
Mole Relationship in a Chemical Reaction
What do budding scientists know about moles and reactions? Using an attention-grabbing lab experiment, young scholars collect data to apply the law of conservation of mass to predict the mass of gaseous products. They examine several...
Pingry School
An Introduction to Qualitative Analysis
Compounds take on different properties than their elemental components. How can scientists determine those elements? A lab-based activity has learners explore several double replacement reactions to analyze compounds qualitatively. They...
Pingry School
Precipitation Reactions and General Solubility Rules
The more you know, the better your predictions! Using a hands-on lab experiment, collaborative groups collect information about ionic interactions. They record data describing the precipitate of reactions and use their information to...
Pingry School
Liquid Chromatography
A hands-on experiment applies chromatography to separate both the colors and components of grape-flavored Kool-Aid. Performing two separate activities, learners first use chromatography to divide the colors. The second activity results...
Pingry School
Lewis Structures, VSEPR and Molecular Modeling
A model is worth a thousand words. Young scholars use what they know about the structure of hydrocarbons to build Lewis dot structures and molecular models. Their tasks include multiple bonds, geometric hybrids, and various isomers.
Pingry School
Qualitative Analysis of Eleven Household Chemicals
Chemical and physical properties give compounds an identity. Learners use the identity of a compound to predict what it is. By performing different tests like solubility, flame, heat, and reactions, individuals attempt to identify an...
Pingry School
Kinetics of the Acid Decomposition of Thiosulfate
Several factors affect the rate of a chemical reaction including temperature, surface area, and concentration. Using an experimental approach, learners explore the effect concentration has on this rate while maintaining consistency with...
Pingry School
The Gelation of Guar Gum with Borax
Some of kids' favorite toys are the products of science experiments. Scholars follow precise measurements to mix and create their own slime and Play-Doh. They observe the changing textures and the chemical reactions throughout the...
Pingry School
The Water Lab – Spreadsheet Simulation
More than 70 percent of people and 90 percent of businesses use spreadsheets regularly. While many courses overlook the important skill, the simple water lab focuses on entering spreadsheet data, formatting it, and printing plots based...
Pingry School
Gas Pressure and Volume Relationship
Do your high school scientists know the four methods scientists use to communicate information? A simple experiment discovering the relationship between gas pressure and volume allows pupils to practice all four. After completing the...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Weighing the Evidence for a Mass Extinction: Part 1 – In the Ocean
Extinction events have happen throughout geologic history, but only five mass extinctions occurred over the last 4.5 billion years. Scholars view fossils from a layer of sediment during an extinction event and observe patterns to draw...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Winogradsky Columns: Microbial Ecology in the Classroom
Substances that decompose with the help of living organisms do so at different rates. Scholars experiment with Winogradsky columns to determine the rate of decomposition, the oxygen and sulfide content changes, and bacteria levels. The...
Biology Junction
Plasma Membrane – Gateway to the Cell
Just as skin covers your body limiting what can go in and out, plasma membranes cover cells to do the same. Scholars begin with a presentation that gives overview of the structure and function of plasma membranes. Then, they learn how...
University of Minnesota
Making an Immigrant Story
Budding historians research the trip immigrants to the United States take and the reasons behind their willingness to start over in a new place. Groups create their own video lessons outlining the story of human migration from departure...
Pingry School
The Periodic Law
Time to put the knowledge to the test! Young scholars take what they know about the periodic table and build their own from scratch. Using clues from 26 different elements, they place elements in a blank periodic table. The clues include...
Pingry School
Isotopes and Atomic Mass – Determination of the Average Atomic Mass of Pastium
Sometimes modeling is the best approach to working with microscopic particles. A lab investigation models a fictional element using pasta. The setup uses three different pasta types to represent three different isotopes. Learners...
Pingry School
Effect of Solutes on Boiling Point
Anyone that lives around snow knows that adding salts to water increases its melting point. Are there solutes that affect the boiling point as well? A scientific experiment has learners add different solutes to water and then monitor the...